Dust trap for sewing and other machines



May 9, 1939. H. E. YOUNG DUST TRAP FOR SEWING AND OTHER MACHINES F iled Oct. 9, 1957 Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED ST'ES DUST TRAP FOR SEWING AND OTHER MACHINES Helen E. Young, Darien, Conn.

Application October 9,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a device in the nature of a trap for confining lint, dust and like particles, freed from fabrics by machines operating upon them, and preventing their escape into the air breathed by the operators of the machines, the device being of a form and construction such as to accomplish its intended purpose effectively without obstructing a clear view of the machine operation or interfering with the m work of the operator.

The development of lint and dust particles by machines used in garment manufacture, for example, has become a serious menace to the health of thousands of factory employees, particularly sewing machine operators, who ordinarily work leaning forward, with their heads bent over in close proximity to the needle action of the machines, in order to watch, guide and manipulate the fabric therein and, in this position, they breathe the air where the dust is thickest and are sooner or later incapacitated by some serious nose, throat or lung ailment.

To meet the situation, which is general throughout the industry, and protect employees against this serious health menace, I have devised an enclosure for the sewing zone of the machine in which the lint, dust and like particles are freed from the fabrics, and construct the same largely and preferably of flexible, transparent material, to obtain a ready yielding action to irregularities in the fabric passing through the sewing zone and to the hands of machine operator in manipulating the fabric therein and which, at the same time will permit a clear and unobstructed View tobe had of the machine action upon the fabric.

In the present embodiment of the invention, which is designed and specially adapted for use on sewing machines, the device is comparatively small and is practically unobstructing to either the view of the machine operator in watching the needle action or in guiding and manipulating the fabric in the sewing operation.

The device is of simple and inexpensive construction and of a form such as to be readily and conveniently slipped on or off the machine head and when in position, effectively confines and traps all lint, dust and like particles within the sewing zone, enabling the operator to follow the usual practice of working in very close to the needle action in an atmosphere cleared of the dust menace.

A device of a form; and construction suitable for carrying my invention into effect, as applied to sewing machines, is illustrated in the accom- 1937, Serial N0. 168,178

panying drawing but I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit myself to the same, as various changes may be made therein as herein applied or for application to other machines, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the sewing machine head showing the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the manner in which the device is placed on or taken off the machine head, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the device with the closable flaps opened up as is done preparatory to putting it on or taking it ofl the machine head.

Referring now to the drawing, I indicates the head portion of a well known type of sewing machine which is here employed for the purpose only of showing my invention applied. The usual arm extension from. the head is indicated at 2 and 3 represents a portion of the table on which the machine is mounted. The space termed herein the sewing zone, is that portion of the table surface in which the needle action and the cooperating feed action of the machine are located.

The dust trap, shown in operating position in Fig. 1, consists of a casing 4 of fairly stout I cloth, shaped to the approximate form of the machine head and adjoining arm extension.

The casing may be formed to either completely or partially enclose the non-moving parts of the machine head, its main purpose being to act as a support and closure for a downward extension 5 thereof, which reaches to the fabric being worked on and encircles the sewing zone of the machine.

As shown, the casing is provided with an opening 6 at the top, through which the upper end of the machine head projects and the fit of the casing around the upper portion of the head is made close and tight by an elastic cord 1 and a tape tie 8, either or both of which may be used.

At the right hand side of the casing, as viewed in Fig. 1, an elongated opening 9 is formed through which the arm extension 2 of the machine head extends and around the top and sides of the opening there is a band-like edging forming an open collar Ill, which is provided with suitably placed snap or other fasteners H for closing it closely around the arm 2.

At the left hand side, as viewed in Fig. 1,

the casing is cut away at l2, to clear the projecting formation and moving parts of the head and extending across the lower portion of this opening, there is a band or flap [3, the free portion of which is provided with snap or other fasteners l4, enabling the flap to be secured in close fitting relation over the lower portion of the machine head or opened up for clearance when the casing is being put on or removed from the head. Other openings such as is indicated at [5, may be provided to adapt the casing to smaller projecting machine parts.

The extension 5, forming the lower section of the casing is made of comparatively thin celluloid or other suitable transparent material to give a clear and unobstructed view through the same of the sewing operation.

This extension may be of circular or oval cross section and is given suitable dimensions to extend somewhat beyond the actual sewing zone of the machine. Being light and flexible, it may be readily moved up and down or toward or away from the needle or will yield to compression from opposite sides, when occasion arises for the operator to take hold of the fabric in proximity to the needle to guide and manipulate the same in running the seams.

When the fabric is being placed in position to start the sewing operation, the transparent section may be telescoped upward, if desired, around the lower end of the machine head to give the operator freer access to the feed, presser foot and needle.

In operation, the lint and dust particles freed from the fabric by the action of the machine, will rise and be caught by the upper cloth section of the trap from which the accumulation may be removed from time to time by taking the casing 01f the head of the machine. This is done by first releasing the fastenings of the collar encircling the arm extension of the head and of the binding strip at the lower end of the head, then telescoping the lower transparent section of the trap upward around the lower portion of the head, to enable the upper cloth section to be pulled over the upper end of the head, as shown in Fig. 2. The entire casing is then moved downward clear of the head and tilted sufficiently to permit one side to be slipped under the raised presser' foot of the machine. Thus removed, the casing may be given a thorough cleaning to rid it of all accumulated lint, dust, etc., and restored to position on the head of the machine by reversing the above described removal operation.

.I-Iaving described my invention, I claim:

1. A trap device for confining dust, lint and like particles freed from fabrics by the action thereon of a sewing machine, comprising a removable cloth casing for the sewing machine head provided with a downward extension of transparent material reaching to the fabric being sewed and enclosing the sewing zone of the machine, the flexibility and fit of the cloth casing of the head being such as to permit up and down movement of the transparent extension as required for the feed of the fabric under it and also upward telescoping movement of the extension on the machine head to provide clearance for the removal of accumulated dust, lint and the like.

2. A trap device for confining dust, lint and like particles freed from fabrics by the action thereon of a sewing machine, comprising a removable cloth casing for the sewing machine head provided with a downward extension of transparent material reaching to the fabric being sewed and enclosing the sewing zone of the machine, the said cloth casing being formed with requisite openings and releasable flaps to permit it to be slipped on and ofi the head of the machine and removably secured in close fitting relation with the non-moving parts thereof.

3. A trap device for confining dust, lint and other particles freed by machines operating upon fabrics and other materials, comprising a casing open at the bottom and shaped to encircle the operating zone of the machine, the casing being formed of transparent material to clearly expose to view the machine operation upon the material, and a flexible support for the casing serving as a top closure for the same, that portion of the support forming the aforesaid closure being collapsible to permit the casing to be telescoped upward at the will of the machine operator to clear and give access to the operating zone without removing the device from the machine.

4. A trap device, as defined in claim 3, in which the flexibility of the support is such as to permit free limited up and down movement of the casing as required to accommodate surface inequalities of the material fed under the same.

HELEN E. YOUNG. 

